Page 9 of Summer Heat
Her brow furrowed. "I don't want to intrude more than necessary."
"I already told you that you could stay here as long as you like." I highly doubted she'd be able to find anything suitable.
"We could use some things. But my car is here now. You don't need to come along."
"I need to get some socks, and I'll never buy them unless someone goes with me." I winked at Maya.
Kinsley laughed, which was my intention. "Are you serious?"
I nodded. "I'm always serious about socks."
"I'll help you find socks," Maya said as she twirled on her stool.
I walked around the counter and lifted her down. "Why don't you wash up and get dressed? Then we can go to the store."
Maya took off at a run, her feet pounding up the stairs. This house hadn't had kids in it in a long time. I had visions of fixing the place up and inviting the family over for dinner, but it was a long way from being done.
I tried not to think about what my family would say. I wasn't organized. I couldn't focus, and I never finished anything.
Sometimes, I thought they didn't realize that I could hear them talking about me or, if they did, didn't think I had feelings about it one way or another. But it got to me. Even if I brushed it off in front of them.
I couldn't help but feel different from my brothers. They were all able to manage a crew and direct a renovation to completion. But it had always been a challenge for me.
I stacked pancakes on a plate. "You need to eat some pancakes to have energy to go shopping with me."
Kinsley slipped onto the stool and asked, "Do I now?"
I nodded seriously, handing her the plate. Then I placed the syrup next to her. "If you're anything like your daughter, you love syrup."
"Maya does love her syrup."
"She made me pour it into a bowl so she could dip it. It was basically the entire bottle," I said.
Kinsley groaned. "I'm sorry. Maya can be a lot to handle."
"Eh. She was a lot of fun. It's usually so quiet around here."
"It's not with Maya. That's why I think we should look for an alternative place to stay. You can't possibly want a child underfoot while you're renovating the place."
"Kinsley, you're motivating me to actually renovate the bathrooms. I haven't been able to finish one yet. With you here, I'll finally get something done."
Kinsley cut into her stack of pancakes.
I was impressed that she hadn't refused the pancakes, claiming that she was watching her figure or some other thing that various women had said to me over the years. I tended to date women who ate salads in front of me. I liked a woman who wasn't afraid to eat in front of a man. Not that this was a date, because it wasn't.
Kinsley moaned as she took a bite of the pancakes.
I raised a brow. "That good, huh?"
Her eyes fluttered closed. "Delicious. I haven't eaten a meal that I haven't cooked myself in a long time."
"While you're here, I can cook. I enjoy it." I poured coffee into a mug, offering it to her.
She accepted the mug. "And as much as I appreciate the shower and use of your toiletries, I don't want to smell like you."
Every muscle in my body tightened at the thought of her covering her naked body with my body wash. "We can't have that."
I was being nice, allowing her to stay with me. So why did it feel like a special kind of torture? I was teasing myself with someone I couldn't have. No matter how much I liked them, they weren't for me.
